• Tagged forgotten, holiday, homeless, hungry, invisible, people, Thanksgiving

Food for thought . . . because that’s all some folks have. Somewhere in the war between the 1% and the 99% are The Forgotten, The Invisible, the Homeless and Hungry with no hope. So while you are preparing for Thanksgiving (or any time) could you not buy a little extra to donate to a food pantry, a soup kitchen? You won’t be sorry; those little random acts of kindness will give you a warm fuzzy glow inside. If you don’t have the time around a holiday to help out at a soup kitchen, and you don’t have the money to help, chew on these images as food for thought because thoughts, regrets and broken dreams are all some folks will feast on this Thanksgiving. This may be hard to look at? Be thankful for all that you do have. [35 Photos]
This one is for you, Mich.

• Tagged art, bizarre, culture, Easter, ethnology, Holy Week, people, photo documentary, photographer, photography, religious

Sometimes we are fortunate enough to find a photographer previously unknown to us but with amazing talent. Jose Pereira is such a photographer. When we came across his attention-grabbing photo documentaries, the images were so compelling, so ‘different’ that we had to look closer. We are surely glad we did, or else we might not have had this look at this culture and ethnological religious expression. Mr. Pereira captured these images of Living Easter of Paradela (Meis), Spain. The photo-documentary spans 5 days and were taken during the Holy Week processions. He said it took “many hours of walking, running down the street, escaping the multitude of the public who attend the events.” Pereira added, “I have spent many years photographing events and ethnological religious expressions in Spain, other countries such as China, India, Russia, etc.” His site, RoughPhoto was a project he initiated. “In recent years for work reasons, I have a bit abandoned it. In recent years I spend more time working in office, instead of taking pictures in the street!” [27 Photos]

• Tagged art, author, fantasy, forest, Hobbits, inspiration, J.R.R. Tolkien, Lord of the Rings, LOTR, muse, nature, people, Puzzlewood, The Shire, Tolkien, woods

All writers and artists have a muse; for some it’s music, for some a person, place or thing, but fiction writers can take a place that is real and twist it until it’s flat-out fantasy. For high-fantasy author J.R.R. Tolkien, Puzzlewood was one such mystical, magical muse that inspired him to create the fabled forests of Middle-earth within The Lord of the Rings. John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born on January 3, 1892 and died at age 81 on September 2, 1973. On this anniversary of his death, we wanted to pay tribute to Tolkien and Puzzlewood — his extraordinarily enchanted backdrop for Middle-earth. [26 Photos]

• Tagged adrenaline junkies, adrenaline rush, extreme sport, fly, paraglider, paragliding, paragliding photographs, people, transportation

Paragliding is a simple form of human flight and also an adventure sport that people all over the world compete or participate in for high-flying fun. Much like an eagle, paragliders can soar in flights which last several hours and cover many hundreds of miles. The longest paragliding duration is 11 hours and covered more than 310 miles! Since paragliders are light, some adventurers choose to hike way up in the mountains; meaning paragliders have flown off of nearly every major peak in the United States and Europe, including Mt. Everest. By taking advantage of thermal lifts, paraglider pilots can stay aloft for 3 or more hours, climb to elevations of 15,000 feet, and go cross-country. Woot! As Leonardo da Vinci said, “For once you have tasted flight you will walk the earth with your eyes turned skywards, for there you have been and there you will long to return.” [42 Photos]

• Tagged abandoned, archaeological, Hiram Bingham III, Inca, Inca Empire, Incas, Machu Picchu, nature, people, Peru, photography, photos, pics, places, rock-cut architecture, ruins, Seven New Wonders of the World, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Peru is celebrating 100 years since the rediscovery of Machu Picchu by Yale professor Hiram Bingham III. On July 24, 1911, the American, who some believe was later the “model” for Indiana Jones, stumbled upon jungle-and-vine-coated ruins during an expedition to find an ancient Inca Empire in the Andes mountains. Machu Picchu was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983. In 2007, it was crowned as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World via a worldwide Internet vote. To mark the Machu Picchu centennial celebration, here is a collection of pictures from the “Lost City of the Incas.”
[46 Photos]

• Tagged America, celebration, fireworks, holiday, Independence Day, July Fourth, military, military photographers, people, photography, photos, pics, places, soldiers, transportation, troops, U.S. Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Marines, U.S. Navy, USA

Happy Birthday America! We had hoped to show you something a little bit different than the same old firework display photos you see all over cyberspace. Military photographers have captured some very cool, unique, and patriotic shots of our troops and how they celebrate Independence Day. Most of their shots below are tagged with the military photographer’s description of the scene. From picnics to parties, Americans celebrate the nation’s birthday in many different ways. Are you small town or big city July 4th firework celebration type person? How do watch the firework displays? On your back on a blanket? Sitting in chairs or stadiums? Near a body of water, or are you the “official” lighter of family fireworks? However you celebrate America’s Independence and birthday, please spare a happy thought in support of our troops and their families. Have fun! Enjoy the fireworks! This our little patriotic tribute. We love the USA and we love these pics! [46 Fantastic Photos]

• Tagged Antelope Canyon, Arizona, Lower Antelope Canyon, Native American nations, Native Americans, nature, Navajo Nation, Navajo Tribal Park, people, photography, photos, pics, places, The Corkscrew, The Crack, travel, Upper Antelope Canyon

The mysterious, magnificent colors of Antelope Canyon make it the most photographed slot canyon in the American Southwest. This masterpiece of color is located near Page, Arizona, and the Lake Powell area. We’ve looked at Canyon de Chelly National Monument and magnificent Monument Valley, but in Navajo Nation tribute part 3, we’re looking at Antelope Canyon. This is actually made up of two slot canyons. The Navajo name for Upper Antelope Canyon is Tsé bighánílíní, which means “the place where water runs through rocks.” Lower Antelope Canyon is Hasdeztwazi which in Navajo means “spiral rock arches.” Antelope Canyon was formed mostly by erosion of Navajo Sandstone due to flash flooding and water rushing through the rocks. The risk of flash floods is but one reason Antelope Canyon is not accessible without a guide. Yet people come from all over the world to visit the Navajo Nation and to try out this photographic extravaganza. [30 Photos]

• Tagged astronauts, Endeavour, International Space Station, ISS, NASA, people, photos, pics, space, space shuttle, transportation

Today NASA astronauts completed their final spacewalk, the last ever for Endeavour. During the 16-day mission, Endeavour and its crew completed NASA’s part in the construction of the International Space Station. This was the 36th shuttle mission to the ISS and this was the last spacewalkers that Endeavor will ever carry to space. The crew members for space shuttle Endeavour’s STS-134 mission are Commander Mark Kelly, Pilot Gregory H. Johnson and Mission Specialists Michael Fincke, Greg Chamitoff, Andrew Feustel and European Space Agency astronaut Roberto Vittori. Sadly, we cannot count upon NASA’s astronauts to take any more wowza photos for us. This is the 25th and final flight of Endeavour before the shuttle is retired along with the rest of NASA’s orbiter fleet later in 2011. Thank you NASA, Endeavour STS-134 mission astronauts and ISS astronauts for your bravery and amazing photographs. We love these pics! [46 Photos]

• Tagged DoD, Memorial Day, military, people, soldiers, transportation, USA

Memorial Day is a U.S. federal holiday celebrated on the last Monday in May, originally meant to honor soldiers. Americans often visit cemeteries and memorials on that day, while others remember U.S. soliders who fought and died in wars throughout our history. After perusing through some of the Department of Defense pictures, we wanted to remember the soldiers of all military branches who are living and who are putting their lives on the line by serving our country. Thank you! These photos certainly don’t include everyone, but we liked them. They made us proud of our soldiers and of the USA. We love our soldiers and their dedication as well as appreciating the time they are away from their family and loved ones. We want to suggest you should hug a soldier for they are why we are free, America. [26 Photos]

• Tagged Arizona, desert, environment, Monument Valley, National Park, Native American nations, Native Americans, nature, Navajo Nation, Navajo Tribal Park, people, photography, photos, pics

Magnificent Monument Valley is one of the most iconic and enduring landmarks of the American “Wild West.” Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park has isolated red mesas, buttes and a sprawling, sandy desert that has been photographed and filmed countless times. Crimson mesas and surreal sandstone towers rise hundreds of feet into the air, some as tall as 1,000 feet. The dramatic natural and rich red hues dominate the entire region that spans the border between Arizona and Utah. Both the beauty and the sheer size of the valley provide majestic scenery that overwhelms the senses as the play of sunlight and shadows holds a person spellbound. Monument Valley is not as much a valley as a wide flat plateau, interrupted by crumbling formations that are the last remnants of the sandstone layers that once covered the entire region. This is part two in an ongoing tribute to the Navajo Nation. (Canyon de Chelly National Monument was part one). We love these pics! [46 Fantastic Photos]

• Tagged Arizona, Canyon de Chelly, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, monuments, National Park, Native American nations, Native Americans, nature, Navajo Nation, people, photos, pics, pictures

Canyon de Chelly National Monument is located on the Navajo Nation and is about 84,000 acres of gorgeous land which has more than 4,000 years of human occupation. That makes this land one of the longest continuously inhabited landscapes of North America. Canyon de Chelly has thousands of years of perserved culture like cliff dwelling architecture, artifacts, and rock art. The National Park Service and the Navajo Nation share resources and continue to work in partnership to manage this breathtakingly beautiful national monument. Canyon de Chelly National Monument is part one of Heaven aka the Navajo Nation. [50 Photos]
Magnificent Monument Valley is part two in the tribute to the Navajo Nation. Awe-inspiring Antelope Canyon (30 PICS) Navajo Nation Tribute Part 3